Breath of Fresh Air

As soon as Nel told him it was all right, Soot relaxed again and got back into position, letting out a soft chirr and spreading his wings. He was delighted he'd actually get a chance to take off with his new friends.

Noah smiled warmly and nodded. "Looks like we're all ready now. Nel, why don't you go ahead and count us down, okay?" He gripped the edge of Chaital's saddle, tensing and preparing for a fast liftoff.

And once Nel had counted down Chaital and Soot leapt into the air with powerful thrusts of their wings. Soot didn't get as much height or take off quite as fast, but it was clear the dragon was delighted. He let out a loud rumbling call that reverberated in even Noah's chest and caused the young man to look back over his shoulder.

"Oh! Whoa! I didn't know he could make that sound!" Noah burst out. "Dude!"
 
Nel sighed softly in relief when Soot relaxed, settling himself back into the saddle to just hold on and see what would happen. "Me?" He asked, surprised, when Noah told him to count down. "O- Oh, all right. Um, three . . . two . . . one. . . Go!"

Lily was back to smiling again, and gave a little 'Yeehaw!' as they took off into the air just to make Noah laugh. She and Infernus didn't quite take off from a standstill as fast as Chaital could, but once they leveled off in the air at about the level of the distant treetops, just high enough to begin catching decent updrafts, they took off like a shot. Lily was light and knew how to stay glued to Infernus' back to avoid wind drag, and he was used to flying while weighed down with packages, so with no extra burden to carry they were fast in the air.

"Eyes forward!!" She called as they whipped past Noah and Chaital in the air, giving a delighted laugh at taking the lead. If he kept looking back for Nel, he was going to lose their race for sure.

Nel winced at the volume of Soot's cry, but it wasn't as if his ears hadn't suffered worse before. He just wasn't usually so close when it happened, right on the dragon's back. It filled him with a strange sort of elation when Infernus called back even while they continued to gain ground ahead, responding to Soot and keeping him involved. Until recently, Nel had worried Soot would never be able to interact peacefully and normally with other dragons. The overwhelming relief and affection he felt for the dragon in his chest was almost enough to make him want to cry.
 
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Sure enough, Noah burst out giggling at Lily's outcry. "Hey! Wait! That's not fair. You made me laugh and slowed us down," he teased. He watched Lily's posturing carefully and tried to copy it to help Chaital go faster. And while Chaital was fast, she was larger than Infernus and built more for power and strength than speed. She also wasn't quite as practiced in flying with a rider yet, and couldn't quite catch up.

But then neither could Soot. He didn't seem to mind, though. He trailed behind the pair as best he could, flying a bit lower as well where the wind was easier on his lungs. He was just happy to be flying with the group. Every so often he'd let out happy chirps or chuffs, swishing his tail.

The race was no contest. Lily and Infernus arrived at the trees first, followed a short distance behind by Noah and Chaital. Noah grinned and leaned back in the saddle while Chaital hovered above the trees. "Aw, nuts! Good race, you two. That was fun." He glanced over while they waited for Soot and Nel to catch up. Then he waved and smiled. "Great job, you guys! You made it! Should we start practicing dives next?"
 
Lily's only audible response from far away was a cackle muffled by the wind, as joyful as ever to be flying as fast as they could without any mail burdens to slow them down, and pleased with their quickly obvious win. She and Infernus drifted in a wide circle as they waited for Noah and Chaital to catch up, and she gave them a smile and wave when they arrived.

"I fail to see how you laughing slowed down Chaital," she said with a grin, "But if that's the excuse you're gonna go with, I guess I'll take it."

Nel was quiet as they flew, listening to Soot and feeling the way his body moved, just doing his best to relax and find some sort of rhythm together. Soot was new to flying, and Nel was new to flying with Soot, or with anything that could be called speed. They would need to get used to each other before they could do anything too extreme, or manage as much speed as the dragon was capable of.

"That's it, fly at your pace," he encouraged as they began to catch up to where the others waited. "If you need to rest, don't hesitate to land again." He was sure that just that long wouldn't tire the dragon out completely, but he supposed it was a bit like running for himself. While he was often out and on his feet, he didn't do any true sprinting for anything short of an emergency, so short bursts of speed were enough to make his lungs burn. Being at higher altitudes and exerting himself was sure to affect Soot's body in ways he wasn't quite used to.

"I don't think I'm ready for anything like that," he said a bit nervously when they had reached the others, shaking his head at Noah's proposal. "But if you'd like to, we can fly nearby and watch."
 
Noah giggled and stick his tongue out. "Yep! That's my story and I'm sticking to it," he announced.

He blinked and rubbed the back of his head when Nel declined joining in on the dives. "Oh! Right. Soot's probably not used to flying very much yet," Noah remembered. "But yeah! You two flying nearby would work great. Then Soot can land and rest whenever he wants to." He patted Chaital's shoulder and grinned. "You ready for some diving practice?"

Chaital gurgled happily and glanced back at him, tilting her head a bit. Then she jetted upward into the air and climbed higher with her wings.

Noah squealed in delight and grabbed onto her saddle, squeezing tightly and leaning against her. "Whoa! That's what I'm talking about! Come on, Lily and Infernus!"

Soot was more than happy not to have to fly that high up yet. He craned his own neck around and licked Nel's cheek. Then he took off in a glide, opting to fly in slow, steady circles to build up his endurance.
 
Lily gave an enthused little shout after Noah and Chaital when they started to climb, and needed only to dig her toes into the footholds a little harder to encourage Infernus to follow after, letting him feel that she was braced for a near-vertical ascent. Chaital got to a decent height faster than they did, but Lily was sure to have them pop up close enough to see each other. At the peak of their climb, just as they flew up right to Chaital's level, Infernus folded his wings in so that their upward momentum stopped, and Lily gave Noah a grin and a little salute just before they began to plunge back down. As Infernus twisted into the fall, she glued herself back down to the saddle and cried out an excited "Wooohoooooo!" on the way down. She was confident enough that Chaital knew when and how gradually to pull up to avoid hurting Noah at the bottom of their fall.

Nel smiled for Soot and was content to fly slowly, circling calmly near where the others played. He wasn't a thrill-seeker, so he didn't mind being left out, and on top of that it let him sit up straighter in the saddle rather than holding on very tightly so he could better see Noah and Lily as they darted here and there. If he could manage to see enough detail, he would try to find something to comment on for Noah afterwards, so he could continue attempting to teach. Lily would surely be able to take over soon - Nel wasn't a very seasoned rider, never having had a dragon of his own, so most of the advice he had was for beginners. Noah would outpace him soon enough.
 
Chaital chuffed when she spotted Infernus rising beside her, and her eyes twinkled; she knew what was coming.

Noah gawked in delight when Infernus and Lily suddenly dropped like a rocket, leaving whispy trails of cloud and wind behind them. "Whoa!" he burst out, leaning forward over his saddle. "That looks intense! You wanna try, Chaital? I'm ready!"

The dragon chirped and bobbed her head. Once she felt Noah tighten his grip and lean forward, she snapped her wings in and rocketed downward like a falcon.

Her rider squealed as the pressure swelled up against his chest and the wind rushed past his face and goggles. Instinctively, he leaned in closer and ducked his head down a bit. The pressure rolled through until he let out a loud yell. "Yeeeah!"

A few moments later, Chaital slowly opened her wings, fluttering them as they landed to give Noah a more gentle stop. Noah collapsed forward on the saddle in a fit of giggles. "That was so fun! Holy shit! Can we go again?" he asked, glancing over at Lily.
 
Infernus, even if he hadn't had Lily's guidance, pulled up gradually long before they ever came near the ground - they were having fun, not doing daredevil stunts, after all - and turned their momentum into a quick circle back around so that they ended up coming back around near Chaital when she leveled out and could land close by. Lily was laughing giddily, sitting up in the saddle with cheeks pink from both exertion and windburn, and hair tousled about her head where the wind had torn at it as they fell.

"What a rush!" She cried, laughing despite being feeling out of breath. "Yeah, let's go! One more time!" She would check on him after to make sure his hands weren't getting tired from holding on, and that being briefly in high altitudes hadn't made his chest hurt, but one more fall couldn't hurt!

"Race you back up!"
 
Noah took a few moments to pant and catch his breath, but he gave Lily a thumbs up and nodded. "Sweet!" he called out. "C'mon, Chaital! One more round!"

Chaital rumbled and took off from the ground, climbing upward in the sky at a bit more gentle of a pace so Noah could breathe a bit easier on the way up. Then she dropped down again, much to Noah's delight, and she slowed down at the end and went into a glide. Instead of landing, though, she went over towards Soot and Nel, flying beside them to give herself a cooldown lap.

Noah laughed and waved a hand. "Hey, Nel! Man, that was great!" he burst out. "Wow. My hair must be a mess, huh? Anyway, how did I do? How have you and Soot been doing?" He flopped forward on Chaital's shoulders and sighed happily. "That was the best. Holy shit."
 
Lily recovered quickly but was glad enough to fly alongside Noah until he was ready again, urging Infernus up after Chaital and watching as Noah reached the crest of his upward flight to be sure nothing was going to go wrong. She guided Infernus into a barrel roll to twist and get them pointing nose down again, and laughed in delight as they picked up speed. Even with the inherent dangers involved in being so high up, she had always felt safe when she was on his back, and always had fun when she was with him. Now she even had someone her age that had a dragon and was willing to do fun things, and time off to spend with them at that! How could life be better?

Nel smiled and waved a little when Noah came to fly next to them, peacefully drifting as long as Soot wanted to. "You look like you had fun," he said with a small chuckle at Noah's pleased exhaustion, finding no true problem with the wild mess that was Noah's hair. Being unkempt or a bit dirty, even, was nothing foreign to him since he'd lived so far out into the country and spent a lot of time wandering in the woods. "You should try to keep your head down just a little flatter," he suggested, unsure what other instruction he could possibly give, unless it was a tip on how to go faster, which he didn't think Noah needed. "But otherwise I didn't see any problems from here. Soot and I are just getting used to each other for now." They had bonded on the ground, but being in the air was very different.

Lily and Infernus glided up alongside them not long after, and she gave Noah a big smile from where she sat. "Pretty cool, huh? Do your cruisers go that fast?" She couldn't imagine it would feel as amazing even if they did.
 
"Oh, did we ever!" Noah burst out. "That rush was crazy! It was like whooosh, and then my chest got all - you know?" he stammered happily. He nodded at Nel's suggestion and gave him a thumbs up. "Keep my head flatter. Got it." He tilted his head and smiled warmly. "You both already look like you're settling in well together."

Sure, Soot was still getting used to flying and having someone on his back. But they both seemed happy.

Noah giggled when Lily glided up next, and he scoffed and shook his head. "Are you kidding? No way! But even if they did, you wouldn't feel the rush and the wind like this. Holy shit. So much fun." Then he gasped. "Oh! Speaking of fun - Nel, I have a fun question to ask you after we're done training. Don't let me forget, okay?"

As if he would forget to ask if Nel wanted to be his brother.
 
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." Nel smiled and stroked a hand over Soot's scales where he could reach, pleased and content. "We're finding our rhythm," he said softly, thoughtfully. One day they would fly like their hearts beat as one, but for now they were doing okay. He was just keeping an eye out for any falters or trembles in case Soot didn't descend when he was tired.

"A fun question?" He repeated, confused but with a hint of a smile on his face still. "All right. I'll do my best to remember." He wasn't the type to keep pushing to solve the mystery, but he would do his best to remind Noah if that was what the younger boy wanted.

Lily was grinning widely, hair wild, clothes rumpled from the wind, and absolutely giddy about it all. She had never been one to worry so much about her appearance, especially not when facing the air pressure created by flying fast and changing altitudes. Focusing on the proper equipment and getting the job done had always been more important. But knowing what Noah was going to ask had her smiling and looking pleased with herself, fighting not to give anything away. "What should we try next? You want to practice barrel rolls? They're good for maneuvering quickly!"
 
"Thanks, Nel. Hopefully it's gonna be a really fun question!" Noah added, beaming. He turned towards Lily with a wide eyed expression. "Holy - barrel rolls?! We can do that? Hell yeah! Can you and Infernus show me how to do that? Chaital probably already knows, but I don't yet." Noah still had plenty of energy to spare, and was very excited to learn a new trick with his dragon.

Chaital chuffed and wriggled excitedly. She very much knew how to do barrel rolls.

Soot, meanwhile, let out a yawn and slowly began descending towards the ground. He'd worked himself plenty and decided it was time for a well deserved rest. He landed gently on the ground, stretched his front paws out, and let his head flop into the grass with a deep sigh. Only a few short weeks ago, he never would've dared to leave himself in such a vulnerable position, much less out in the open. But things were different now.
 
Lily gave Noah a grin and patted Infernus shoulder where she could reach, thrilled by his excitement. "We've gotta be going a little faster than this, so try to keep up without getting too close. Stay on our left, and we'll snap right."

Infernus only huffed a breath that was almost smoke, pouring on a bit of speed at Lily's urging. They had been flying together for long enough that it didn't take much pressure for him to know what she wanted him to do. As they pulled ahead of Noah and Chaital, he focused only on going a bit faster and faster until she pushed with her hands and feet in ways that told him she wanted a quick rotation. In the air, he made a motion that tucked one wing and left the other extended, then tucked in the latter as their weight was flung sideways, and only put his wings back out when they had made a full spin from upright, to upside down, and back upright again. Since they hadn't been going as fast as normal, they had lost just a bit of altitude but not very much.

"Did you see?" Lily called as they slowed to allow her and Noah to talk to each other, a big smile on her face. "It's real handy for making quick changes in direction if you're stuck in a small space, but you've gotta tuck in close and lean into the turn so the wind doesn't yank you out of the saddle. Give it a try!" He was all strapped in, so now was the perfect time to do potentially risky stunts. If he really did become a Scout, it would be good to learn how to maneuver amongst the tighter corners of Upper Floaten's underbelly.


Nel's smile went a bit uncertain, though still amused, but Noah was quickly distracted so he just let it go. As Soot descended he gave the dragon gently reassurance that it was okay to rest, and only once they were on the ground did he unhook himself and climb off to his feet.

"Time for a rest?" He asked with a little smile, sitting down near Soot's head so he could be seen. "You worked hard. Flying can be exhausting, at first, but one day you'll be able to do everything you want to without getting tired. On the ground or in the air, I'll always support you."
 
Noah nodded. "Mhm. Got it," he replied. "Let's go, Chaital!" He leaned forward, and Chaital moved forward as well, flying after Infernus and Lily so Noah could get a good look at what was going on.

The freckled brunette chuckled in delight when the pair did a barrel roll and sent gusts of wind rolling over his hair and face. "I sure did see!" he burst out when Lily and Infernus returned. "That was great! I want to try! Ready, Chaital?"

Chaital rumbled and spread her wings to jet upward. Once Noah was in position, she zoomed at a slight downward slope and tucked her wings to do a quick barrel roll. Noah squealed in delight and barely managed to hang onto his saddle. Luckily, physics and the safety harness kept him safely secure.

He grinned and nodded when he and Chaital flew back over to Lily and Infernus. "That was so fun!" he gasped. "I'm actually starting to get a bit tuckered out, though. Can we take a break?" he added, tossing his head towards Nel and Soot below.

If Soot had been smaller, he would have laid his head in Nel's lap. But he didn't want to hurt him, so he settled for gently licking his hair instead and laying his head down in the grass right beside Nel. He closed his eyes and chuffed warmly. He would be there for Nel, too, no matter what.
 
Lily had Infernus drop back a little to be out of the way, and made an encouraging, delighted shout at Noah when he and Chaital rolled in the air, cheering them on. He had been thrown a bit in the saddle, she could just barely see, but in time he would learn how to hold his weight and position his body to stay on no matter what happened. Until then, that was what the training equipment was for.

"What speed!" She said with a grin when Noah was next to her again, and nodded along even though she knew she and Infernus could have gone for hours. "Of course! Let's go keep Nel company."

On the ground, Nel smiled contentedly and stroked over Soot's muzzle as the dragon licked at him, amused and affectionate. It was so strange to feel so comfortable. He had always held affection for Soot, but as the dragon unlearned all that he had been taught through suffering, Nel had been sure to always watch, to be careful of his own hands, to never give the dragon his back. Now, after only a moment of thought, he laid down in the grass to let Soot press his head against his body, so they could stay in physical contact. Soot was so gentle, Nel thought it would be easy to forget just how poorly the dragon had lived before he had been found and brought to the Dragonry.
 
And Soot, for his part, was quickly coming to consider his previous life as distant memories. Everything was so different here that it really did feel like a new life altogether. He rumbled deeply, the sound reverberating through the ground, and he kept his eyes closed when he felt Nel lay down beside him.

He only barely opened his eyes when he heard Chaital and Infernus approaching; he was far too comfortable to be bothered to move. And he felt far too safe to feel the need to.

Chaital touched down and trotted over, gently licking Soot's scales before standing still so Noah could dismount and start taking his harness and her saddle off. She chuffed a bit when, after unhooking the harness, he flopped off her side and onto the ground in a puff of dust.

"Ow! Dang it," he said with a laugh. He jumped up again and brushed himself off, and then finished taking off the riding tack. He set both aside gently in the grass before ambling over and flopping down next to Nel. "So! Uh - the fun question," he started. He pulled in a breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, um . . . listen. I really, really like spending time with you. And my father and grandpa do, too. And I was wondering, you know - how'd you like to be my brother?"
 
Lily landed nearby, giving both Soot and Chaital room out of habit so no one would be in anyone else's way. Infernus was content enough to walk over and settle in next to the others with his saddle still on, used to wearing it for long periods of time while he and
Lily worked. If they were sent out to deliver a message suddenly it would save precious minutes having it on already.

Lily, for her part, went to Soot's other side to put the dragon between her and the boys, giving them just a little privacy. "All right if I sit here?" She asked the previously skittish dragon with a warm smile, settling in slowly and delicately on her knees for now so as not to startle him. She had never gotten to spend any time around him before, but remembered when he had been brought in, snapping at everyone that came too close and cowering in fear. It was good to see him looking relaxed and confident in his safety.

Nel only winced in sympathy when Noah fell, seeing the younger man bounce back to his feet rather quickly and Chaital not worrying, and so not getting up to help when it wasn't wanted. He laid still so Noah could come and settle beside him, smiling a little to let him know it was okay, and giving Noah his attention when he brought up the 'fun question' again.

"O- Oh. . ." At first, all Nel could feel was surprised. He laid there with a sort of stunned, perplexed expression, running the words over in his head again as if he hadn't fully processed them the first time and curling his fingers into the grass as a mix of unexpected feelings coalesced inside his chest. "I . . ." His voice strained just the littlest bit, unable to pull more words from his own throat, and he sat up and ran a shaking hand over his mouth, overwhelmed. It was strange how such simple words made his eyes fill so suddenly with tears, and how that tight ball of not-bad-but-a-lot feelings made him feel like he needed to get up and move, while at the same time rooting him to the ground.

Since he had come to the dragonry all of the staff had been kind to him, and Malia had always cared for him and made sure he had everything he needed, but he had gotten older and more sure of his work, and she was always busy, and he'd learned very young to take care of himself and not to be a burden on those who were already giving him their help and resources for free. And yet, these people who had hardly met him were willing to bring him into their fold. It had been a long time since he'd had anyone to think of as family.

"Okay." He answered finally, doing his best not to let his voice crumble, though after he managed to get it out he had to cover his face with both hands like he couldn't bear to see anything, breath catching in his throat. "I-I'm sorry." He didn't mean to cry.
 
Soot's ear fin twitched when Lily spoke to him. But he was completely unbothered by her presence and only reached over to lick her cheek, as though to say yes, it was perfectly all right if she sat there. Then he lay his head down again and let out a deep, contented sigh.

At least until he could smell salty tears welling up in Nel's eyes. He lifted his head a bit and glanced over, chirring softly and gently nudging Nel's cheek.

Noah's gaze had drifted shyly to the ground at first. He'd expected a gentle no or a reaction similar to Jasper's. But the catch in Nel's voice caught his attention, and when he glanced up and found the boy on the verge of tears, his own eyes widened. "Oh. Shit. I - I didn't know it was going to make you upset. I'm sorry, I - "

But Nel eventually answered with a soft "Okay," only to immediately hide his face in his hands and apologize.

Noah's own eyes welled over. "Oh, they're happy tears, h - huh? Aww, Nel. C'mere." He pulled him into a hug and grinned, sniffling a little. "You've got nothing to apologize for. It's okay to cry. Especially since you're gonna be a Harn, stuck with our family," he added with a stifled laugh.
 
Lily tilted her head a little to avoid getting licked on the eye, as was her habit whenever Infernus' head was anywhere near her face, but grinned at Soot's affection regardless. She reached out to give him a rub behind his ear fins and then just let him be in case he didn't really like physical gestures like Infernus did.

"It's all right, Soot," she said reassuringly for him, fighting not to chuckle at the two boys beginning to cry next to them because she knew they weren't sad, and really she'd half suspected it as a possible reaction. "He'll be okay, I promise."

Nel could feel Noah moving beside him, and didn't fight the way the younger man pulled him close, though it felt strange to have someone hold him after so long. Truthfully, the tears that choked back his voice were both happy and sad - for the family he had lost and the loneliness he felt, and for the new connections he had stumbled into along his way. He was so unused to having those intense sorts of feelings around other people that he didn't know what to do with himself. Usually it was just him and the dragons, in the fields and under the stars that made him think of what once was home.

"I'm o- okay," he managed after a long moment of struggling to stop the little hitches in his breath from turning into a sob, and managed a watery little laugh at himself as he found the wherewithal to uncover his face and dry his eyes on a sleeve, one hand patting gently at an arm Noah had wrapped around him. "I- I didn't mean to - to worry you." He smiled through the lingering moisture in his eyes and reached over to Soot to reassure him. "I don't think I would mind. Being stuck." Not with family.
 
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